The Gupta Gollyword Glossary

Mandy de Waal

Mandy de Waal

Mandy de Waal is a writer who reports on technology, corruption, science, the media and whatever else she finds interesting. She loves small stories and human narratives, and dislikes persistent evangelists, bad poetry and the insane logic that currently passes for political rhetoric. Back in journalism after spending time in the corridors of corporate greed, de Waal has written for Mail & Guardian, Noseweek, City Press, Rapport, MoneyWeb, Brandchannel (New York) and a number of other good titles. She now writes for The Daily Maverick because it’s the smart thing to do.

South Africa

07 May 2013 12:58 (South Africa)

From Guptogo to GobbledyGupta, South Africans have invented a veritable lexicon to express their outrage (and believe it or not, delight) about the Gupstravaganza at Sunjay City. MANDY DE WAAL and JON PIENAAR wed meaning to the ever-growing list of words.

“What’s a Gupta?” asked former Sunday Times columnist Jani Allan on Twitter, soon after the engines of the an Airways Airbus A330-200 carrying passengers from India to a certain wedding went silent at the Waterkloof air force base, in Pretoria. Since then #Guptagate has generated its own dictionary load of lexicology. Here’s Daily Maverick’s reference guide to sorting the idioms from the idiocy.

Gupta: (coll. n.) A related group of self-important, self-involved individuals who believe one country’s future depends on their money.

Guptagate: (n.) An investigation that will fizzle out as soon as the next ANC crisis breaks.

Co-gupt: (v.) Making a venue, place, space or party one’s own. As in: “Did you see how Sun City was totally co-gupted last weekend?” Or as in: “Did you read about how Waterkloof was co-gupted?”

Heligupta: (n.) A vehicle that flies in the face of protocol... and can land anywhere.

Guptastan: (n.) A wedding gift given by the bride’s family to the conjugal couple.

Guptapologist: (n.) What @KienoKammies called ‏@braddo_ct after Brad tweeted: “In this now rather tasteless frenzy about the Guptas, few reflect that this glittering wedding could have been held anywhere in the world”.

Guppies: (coll. n.) Gushing Gupta groupies who openly declare their love for the three amigos and their families on social networks. Like Lefa Phukubye (on FB): “I just love the Guptas!” and Bongani Bukhosibemvelo Mahlangu (on FB): “I am in love with the Guptas, it ain't like the De Klerks/Bothas didn't have influential friends…the red necks of this country need to chill and never tell us about the constitution ANC made that shit ya'll” (sic). [Via @HansErikIken]

Gollywood: (n.) Sunjay City, after tens of millions have been thrown at it for a single wedding.

Guptiphany: (n.) A revelation, as in Gareth Cliff’s tweet: “Let's not forget that at the centre of all this controversy there's just a girl, looking at a boy, asking him to love her #Aaaaaaah #Gupta”

Contraguption: (n.) How the Dalai Lama’s entry to SA was denied, but the Gupta wedding party had full access to a National Key Point and VIP blue light detail.

Mangosuthu Guptalezi: (n.) When a member of parliament gets all tearful about that “beautiful celebration” and lyrically describes it as “a refreshing moment away from the hurly burly of politics”, a wedding that “spoke not only of wealth, but of love, hope and community spirit.”

Guptaplex: (n.) A R54 million compound in Saxonwold that consists of four mansions, where parastatal bosses and big-shot politicians are regularly summoned.

Mandy de Waal is a writer who reports on technology, corruption, science, the media and whatever else she finds interesting. She loves small stories and human narratives, and dislikes persistent evangelists, bad poetry and the insane logic that currently passes for political rhetoric. Back in journalism after spending time in the corridors of corporate greed, de Waal has written for Mail & Guardian, Noseweek, City Press, Rapport, MoneyWeb, Brandchannel (New York) and a number of other good titles. She now writes for The Daily Maverick because it’s the smart thing to do.

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